Parc des Bastions & Reformation Wall
Parc des Bastions & Reformation Wall features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Geneva. Give it roughly ~45 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type monument
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Geneva Geneva guide
About Parc des Bastions & Reformation Wall
A beautiful park adjoining the old town, home to the 100-metre Reformation Wall bearing giant stone statues of Calvin, Farel, Beza, and Knox, and a famous giant chess set.
The Parc des Bastions is Geneva's most historically charged public park, occupying the former medieval fortification terraces below the old town walls. Its most remarkable feature is the Mur des Réformateurs, the Reformation Wall, a 100-metre-long stone monument built between 1909 and 1917 to mark the 400th anniversary of Calvin's birth (1509) and the 350th anniversary of the University of Geneva. The wall's central section features four enormous stone figures, each about 5 metres tall, representing the principal Protestant Reformers associated with Geneva: John Calvin, Guillaume Farel, Théodore de Bèze, and John Knox. Behind them, the university's main building, the University of Geneva, founded by Calvin in 1559, provides an appropriate academic backdrop. The park also contains the main building of the University of Geneva and is a popular relaxation spot for students and professors. A large outdoor chess set with knee-high pieces provides entertainment throughout the warmer months, and the park's beautiful tree-lined allées are among the most pleasant walks in central Geneva. The wall also features bas-relief panels depicting key moments in Reformation history and quotations from key Reformation texts.
Did you know? The four central figures on the Reformation Wall stand about 5 metres tall, beneath the carved Latin motto "Post Tenebras Lux" (After Darkness, Light).
How long is a visit to Parc des Bastions & Reformation Wall?
Set aside roughly ~45 min for Parc des Bastions & Reformation Wall. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Parc des Bastions & Reformation Wall worth your time?
Parc des Bastions & Reformation Wall is among the 22 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Geneva, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Geneva
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